The father of Mackenzie Shirilla has spoken out following backlash over his remarks in the Netflix documentary The Crash. The film, which premiered last week, has quickly become the number one movie on the streaming platform in the UK.
Details of the Case
The documentary examines the tragic incident in which a car crashed into a wall at 100 mph, killing passengers Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19. The driver, Mackenzie Shirilla, then 17, survived with serious injuries. Initially treated as an accident, the case became a murder investigation, leading to her conviction in August 2023. She received two sentences of 15 years to life, with parole eligibility.
Parental Backlash
Steve and Natalie Shirilla appear in the documentary, with Steve facing criticism for comments about his daughter's marijuana use. He stated, "I don't have a problem with her smoking dope. If you're going to smoke a drug, that's the one I believe you should take."
In a recent interview with TMZ, Steve clarified: "In the documentary, that is part of a longer answer. That was one part and I can't remember what the question was. The documentary people had interviewed us for two days straight and then came back and did more."
He added: "My answer wasn't in support of marijuana... What I was saying is that who am I to say who can smoke and who can't smoke? Now, I never allowed my daughter to smoke marijuana. How was I stopping her? You know, I couldn't lock her up in her room."
Professional Consequences
Steve, a teacher at a school, revealed he has been placed on administrative leave since the documentary aired. He explained: "My understanding is that it came from the diocese. They got inundated with phone calls from concerned parents so they decided to put me on administrative paid leave until they did an investigation."
He also criticized the prosecutor, calling the investigation "lazy" and reiterating his belief that there was insufficient evidence to convict his daughter. Steve expressed surprise at the intense online reaction to the documentary.
The Crash is currently streaming on Netflix.
